May 22, 2013

The Offering by Angela Hunt

From bestselling author Angela Hunt, the heart-wrenching story of a young mother who unknowingly gave away her own child after serving as a surrogate for a childless couple.

After growing up as an only child, Amanda Lisandra wants a big family. But since she and her soldier husband can't afford to have more children right away, Mandy decides to earn money as a gestational carrier for a childless couple. She loves being pregnant, and while carrying the child she dreams of having her own son and maybe another daughter ...

Just when the nearly perfect pregnancy is about to conclude, unexpected tragedy enters Mandy's world and leaves her reeling. Devastated by grief, she surrenders the child she was carrying and struggles to regain her emotional equilibrium.

Two years later she studies a photograph of the baby she bore and wonders if the unthinkable has happened---could she have inadvertently given away her own biological child? Over the next few months Mandy struggles to decide between the desires of her grief-stricken heart and what's best for the little boy she has never known.

With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including "The Nativity Story". Hunt is one of the most sought-after collaborators in the publishing industry. Her nonfiction book "Don't Bet Against Me", written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Angela's novel "The Note" (with sales of over 141,000) was filmed as the Hallmark Channel's Christmas movie for 2007 and proved to be the highest rated television movie in the channel's history. Angela's novels have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RITA, the Christy Award, the ECPA Christian Book Award, and the Holt Medallion. She often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers' conferences, and she served as the keynote speaker at the 2008 American Christian Fiction Writers' national conference. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs. In 2001, one of her dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest dog in America.

Angela Hunt is celebrating the release of The Offering with a Nook HD Giveaway and an Author Chat Party on Facebook {6/5}.

One winner will receive:

A Nook HD

The Offering by Angela Hunt

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 4th. Winner will be announced at the "The Offering" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 5th. Connect with Angela for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Angela will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Offering and join Angela on the evening of June 5th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!

Mandy wanted nothing but the best for her family, and she was desperate to do her part. Becoming a surrogate mother seemed like the perfect solution to their financial worries, and her husband reluctantly agreed with the plan.

Mandy enjoyed being pregnant, and she honestly believed that she could remain detached from the little person growing inside of her. Then the unthinkable happens and her world is turned upside down.

I could totally relate to Mandy's story, and it was easy to imagine the turmoil that she went through. Surrogacy in itself is a controversial subject, but Ms. Hunt made it realistic and believable, and I couldn't help but empathize with both sides of the parental arrangement.

There are much deeper elements to this story, mainly that of deciding what is best for the child. It is the personal turmoil of a mother's heart when she must decide what is really the most important.

Thank you, Angela Hunt, for another fantastic novel that challenged me to think about my own beliefs. This book also made me question how I might have responded in a similar situation.

I am a huge Angela Hunt fan, and have read dozens of her books. The Offering is a definite winner and one of my favourites so far.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Litfuse Publicity Group and Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.